Locking up certain important documents and valuables in a bank vault could turn into a headache for you or your heirs.

Recent studies estimate that 39.6% of Americans 65 years of age or older are victims of financial abuse.

Inheriting an IRA from a parent has a unique set of rules you need to know, which will help you make the most of the money you inherit and avoid a tax-time surprise.

When moving to a new state, you may have to sever some or all of your ties to your former state. Half measures can leave you open to tax claims by your former home state.

As you’re making your estate plan, you’ll want to carefully consider everything. This means it may take a while to complete your plan. Here are five things to watch out for along the way.

There are many stories of strange conditions in wills and trusts over time. For example, the German poet Heinrich ‘Henry’ Heine died in 1856 and left his estate to his wife, Matilda, on the condition that she remarry, so that ‘there will be at least one man to regret my death’.

If you have a mortgage, you might worry about what that means for your heirs and loved ones. Will they be able to keep your home, and who will be responsible for paying for it?

Usually when asked to be the executor of a family member’s estate, the person feels honored and trusted. It’s a big responsibility, since the executor will be carrying out a person’s final wishes.

Even those with the best of intentions can fall into the trap of estate planning misinformation. Estate planning attorneys frequently hear rumors and ill advice disguised as facts.